Day Into Night
by Fierce N Feisty
Summary: This is my interpretation of how Anakin and Amidala's relationship progresses from love to lost hope. Contains 5 short parts that span several years. Very angst-filled - cuz that's the way I like it!
1. Reunion

Ten years, an entire decade, had passed since he saw her last ****

Title: Day Into Night

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Author: Fierce N Feisty

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Description: This is my interpretation of how Amidala and Anakin's relationship progresses from love to lost hope. I'm sure George Lucas has a whole different approach, which we will see in the next few Star Wars prequels. In the meantime…Enjoy my take on it! 

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Disclaimer Stuff: I do not own these characters, places, etc. – They are the property of George Lucas, Lucasfilms, Ltd., etc. etc. No money was made from these stories, so please don't sue me. 

Part I: The Reunion (10 Years after The Phantom Menace)

Ten years, an entire decade, had passed since he saw her last. It felt more like a lifetime. He had been so young, a different person, when she walked into that dusty Tatooine shop and into his life. He had asked in boyish wonder if she was an angel. She had smiled at him quizzically, not quite sure how to answer this sandy-haired child with a curiously earnest expression in his blue eyes. He had been naïve, untrained, inexperienced in matters outside of his narrow existence. Yet he knew, in that moment, that there was something special about her. Something that reached out and grabbed hold of his thoughts, his feelings. He couldn't explain it, or put a name to it. Yet, in his nine-year-old mind, he knew that he was somehow connected to this beautiful stranger in a way that he had never been to his mother, or his friends. It was as if he had suddenly found a part of himself that he never knew was missing.

Amidala had been Queen back then, the newly elected leader of Naboo. He had been a slave. Her station could not have been further from his own. Yet, she did not speak to him as mere property, or even as a child. She treated him as an equal. She had cheered him to victory in the Boonta Eve pod race, had comforted him that first night away from his mother, had watched as he entered the Academy and took his first steps towards becoming a Jedi. And always – _always_ – she had made him feel as if where he belonged was right there with her. 

Much had happened in those ten years. He had grown from padawan learner to apprentice, his training every day re-shaping his body and mind towards learning the will of the Force. He had learned much from his Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the rest of the Jedi Council. He had replaced wide-eyed wonder with unflappable calm. He had grown in stature, in strength, in wisdom, and while he still had much to learn, he was far from the boy he once was. 

She had changed, too. From the reports he got at the Academy, he learned that she had retired as Queen and had made a successful bid for the Senate. After defeating the Trade Federation, Amidala had turned her attention to making sure threats of that kind would never again affect her people. She worked hard, and made sure her actions were carefully planned, effective, and fair. Only 24 years of age, and she was already a well-respected political power in the Republic.

Ten years of changes. Ten years of growing up. Ten years of separation. And yet, Anakin still felt for Amidala the way he felt back then. He felt his connection to her as strongly now as he did back then. Not a day had passed when he had not thought of her and wondered with great hope if he would ever see her again. Did she feel the same way? Did she remember the slave-turned-padawan who held her in such high esteem? Did she ever hope, as he did, that their paths would one day cross again? Was she glad now that it seemed inevitable that they would?

Anakin turned from the viewport of the _Nobility_. Only 10 more standard hours before they reached Coruscant. It wouldn't be long now before he found the answers to all those questions clouding his mind. It wouldn't be long at all.

***

Padme Amidala awoke with the expectation that it would be a normal day. She had not fully roused herself from sleep when her mind began to swim with all of the meetings and negotiations that were on the agenda. Her time was short in comparison to all of the tasks that she had to accomplish before the day was over. 

Amidala sighed and rolled out of bed, dressing quickly so that little of that precious time would be lost. She smiled ruefully at the thought of how long it used to take her to dress, back when she wore the heavy gowns and make-up of a Queen. The simple, loose gown she now wore was far more practical and better suited to her duties as a Senator.

She was minutes away from rushing from her suite to meet Bail Organa, the Senator from Alderaan, when Sabe informed her that she had a visitor. Amidala faced Sabe, the only handmaiden she had retained from her reign as Queen, and bit back the words that would quickly send this new intrusion away. But something stopped her – something inside of her whispered to have patience, that this was an interruption she would not regret. 

"Show the visitor in," she conceded, almost succeeding in hiding the irritation from her voice. Sabe left to usher the guest into her chambers. Amidala was not prepared for who she brought back with her. 

The man standing there was tall, nearly a head taller than herself. He was young, his steady blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mischievous mirth. Sandy blond hair was cropped short at the crown of his head, with a single braid falling past his shoulders and down his back. He wore the clothes of a Jedi Knight: earth-colored tunic and dark boots partially hidden by the folds of his brown robe. The silver hilt of a lightsaber glinted from his belt.

The young man smiled when he saw her. There was warmth and hope in that smile, along with an enthusiastic excitement too great to hide. It had been so many years since she had last seen that smile, yet there was no mistaking who it belonged to. All the time in the galaxy could not erase from her mind the boy inside of the man who now stood before her.

She laughed, the sound bubbling from deep inside her. It had been awhile since she had heard herself laugh, and it sounded strange in her ears, yet intensely comforting. Instantly, the Senate meetings and politicians vying for her time faded from her mind, like the morning mist of her home planet melting away under the warmth of the rising sun. She no longer felt old, or tired, or pulled into a thousand directions at once. She no longer felt like Senator Amidala, representative of Naboo. For in Anakin Skywalker's presence, she was simply Padme. _His_ Padme.

Amidala closed the distance between them quickly, grasping his hand in her own. She could see her own joy mirrored in his eyes. "Ani, You've come back to me," she breathed.

Anakin's smile grew. "You knew I would," he responded, clutching tightly to her hand.

***

They talked for what seemed like hours, when, in reality, was only a few minutes. Their words came easily, and it was as if they had never parted. The connection that had been established so long ago had not been severed by time and distance. 

Anakin told her of his training, how he was nearly finished, and that any day now, he would face the trials required to become a full Jedi Knight. He spoke of Obi-Wan Kenobi as a kind, fair master who had taught him much, and added wistfully that Qui-Gon Jinn would have been proud of his apprentice.

Amidala smiled and replied that Qui-Gon would have been proud of him, as well. "I know I am," she added. Her compliment set him blushing. He tried to act modest, but inside, he beamed like the nine-year-old boy that had won her heart on that wind-swept desert.

Anakin turned the conversation to her, wanting to know everything that had happened since they last met. He congratulated her on her election to the Senate, saying that it was quite an honor to be the youngest person ever to serve in such a position. He listened with concern as she spoke of her struggles with certain members of the Senate, and her commitment to limit their ever-increasing power.

"But, enough of that." Amidala brushed the topic aside with a lighthearted smile. "I want to hear all about the Academy, and your missions."

"Senator," a small voice interrupted insistently, but not unkindly. It was Sabe, holding out a datapad to Amidala. "Organa is waiting for you."

Amidala sighed. "Please, Padme," Anakin interceded. "We can catch up at a more convenient time. I have only just arrived, and have no plans to leave in the near future." He smiled tenderly, and almost shyly. "I just wanted to see you as soon as I could."

Amidala returned the smile. "Yes, Ani. Soon. We will meet again soon." She released his hand, which she only now realized she had still been holding. It was if she had wanted to keep him there with her, to make sure that he was safely anchored in reality, and not a dream ready to vanish into the air.

He gave her one last look, and was gone. She felt light, free from the burdens that weighed heavy only moments before. Somehow, everything seemed perfectly in place when Ani was near. 


	2. Downfall

Amidala heard Anakin come in before she saw him ****

Part II: Downfall (Approximately 12 years after The Phantom Menace; 2 years after Part I of this story.)

Amidala heard Anakin come in before she saw him. She knew immediately that something was wrong. Instead of going straight to her as he always did, he instead slipped out onto the balcony overlooking the city. She quietly watched him as he stood there, completely lost in thought, seemingly oblivious of her presence. She did not need the Force to tell that he was tense and agitated.

She debated joining him for several seconds before finally moving towards the transperisteel door that separated them. Just as the door slid open, a strong gust of wind whipped through the balcony, lifting Anakin's blond hair from his face. Amidala gasped involuntarily at the sight. He looked nearly ten years older than when she had last seen him only days ago. His face was hardened as if cut from stone, and his eyes burned darkly with bitterness. His entire body was rigid, consumed with something Amidala could not place. Hate? Anger? Who was this person who stood before her?

She knew he had been struggling for the last few months. Every day he had seemed more and more distant. She kept telling herself that this was how it would be. This was the price she must pay for falling in love with a Jedi, with someone who belonged not only to herself, but to an entire galaxy who needed his protection and guidance. He could not always be there for her, physically or emotionally. His turmoil always seemed to fade eventually. He would smile at her, brush his worries aside, and everything would be alright again. Until now. 

She barely trusted her voice, but she had to know. "What happened?" The words came slowly, quietly. Something had gone horribly wrong on this last mission. Something that had taken Anakin from her and left this cold stranger in his place.

He turned to face her, the first sign that he was even aware of her presence. She froze in shock when his eyes met hers. She took a step backward, suddenly realizing where she had seen his look before. It was a look of such intense wrath, so consuming that it held his entire body captive. It was a look of hated that drowned and choked any hint of love that had once been there. It was a look that terrified her to the very core – a look that she had seen before, one that she had hoped she would never see again. For, in her husband's eyes, burned the rage of Palpatine – the rage of the Dark Side.

"No," she cried, her voice barely a whisper. Realization pored over her in waves, all too quickly, threatening to drown her in its wake. She stepped further away from Anakin, afraid of him for the first time in her life.

He reacted quickly, grabbing hold of her arm in a tight grip. She fought back, and somehow managed to find the strength to wrench herself free. Enraged, he snatched her with both arms and forcefully threw her to the ground, as easily as if she had been a doll. This time she did not fight, but lay weakly at his feet, face to the ground. Anakin raised his fist to strike, and paused mid-air.

Amidala waited for the blow that would never come. She raised her face to meet his gaze. An eternity of seconds passed, as confusion pushed aside bitterness in Anakin's eyes. A battle raged within, and Amidala could see that he was visibly shaken by her presence. He was torn, the promise of a powerful future suddenly confronted by the happiness of the past. 

Slowly, she reached her hand out to him, wanting so desperately to touch that part of Ani that she knew was still there. Buried beneath this hate, this anger, was her husband – a husband who deeply loved her and cared about those around him. She could still feel that part of him, that connection that had brought her to him so many years ago. She had to make him remember. She had to make him feel again.

Anakin backed away from her. A hundred hearbeats passed between them. It was as if time itself had stood still, and he was wavering at the edge of a great precipice. She was there, urging him to stay, reaching out for him to come back to her. Emotions raged in a tangled storm, and the decision he had thought was so easy now tormented every part of his being. 

Then, it was over. The rush of greed and power once more overtook him. He had already made his decision. There was nothing more to consider. His eyes clouded over, and, as quickly as it had appeared, the confusion was gone. Only hatred smoldered in its place. 

"Why, Anakin?" Her words sounded weak, even to her own ears. But the anguish behind them could not be stronger. "Why?"

The man who had once been her husband did not answer. Instead, he turned from her, and walked through the door. Through the balcony glass, she heard the door to their chambers open, and then close. She knew that he would never again walk back through those doors.

Fear was replaced by grief, more intense than she had ever felt before. She crumpled into a heap against the cold floor, unable to support her own weight, and wept uncontrollably. Sobs wracked her entire body. Her breath came in ragged, labored gasps. Her heart ached with a pain for which their was no equal. 

Her husband, her best friend, her lover, was dead. 

***

Obi-Wan knew he had been there, the moment he stepped inside the door. Fear and grief hung heavy in the air, and it was all he could do to keep them from overtaking his own emotions. 

He found her lying on the floor of the balcony. Her dress was torn, her hair disheveled and falling around her face in haphazard, cascading waves. Her face was wet and sticky with tears, and she was shivering violently in the cold evening air. Her eyes were vacant and hollow, starring straight ahead and seeing nothing.

Obi-Wan gently lifted her in his arms. She was as light and weak as a child. "Padme," he said softly.

She lifted her face to his. Dim recognition flickered in her eyes. It was as if she was awakening from a deep sleep and couldn't quite remember who she was or where she was at.

Obi-Wan carried her to her bed, and tucked her underneath the warm blankets. She started to speak, but he stopped her.

"Do not give up hope," he said. "There is still good in him, I feel it. I can bring him back."

Amidala nodded. A single tear escaped from her eyes and ran slowly down her cheek. Obi-Wan leaned in close to her, and kissed her on the forehead. "I will bring him back to you. I promise."


	3. Complications

Padme Amidala stood facing the window ****

Part III: Complications (Approximately 12 years after the Phantom Menace; Several weeks after Part II of this story.)

Padme Amidala Skywalker stood facing the window. Her back was to him, and she did not hear him enter. He watched her for several seconds, noting her rigid posture, and the regal way she held her head. Years of public office and life at court had trained her to look the part of perfect calm. Outwardly, she was everything a Senator should be – calm, noble, strong, fearless… Inwardly, her emotions raged a battle that the casual observer would never be able to discern.

But, Obi-Wan was not a casual observer. He could sense the Force flowing around her like a raging torrent. She was battling something new, something she had never expected. 

She had been through much these last few weeks. Each time she was faced with another wave, he expected her to falter. But she never did. She steeled her voice and darkened her eyes, knowing that mourning would come later. But at this moment, she was at her weakest. If ever there was a breaking point for this young ruler, now would be the closest she would ever come to it.

"You sent for me, Padme?" She turned to face him, and he could see that she had been crying. She nodded silently, then motioned for him to take a seat. He did not move, waiting for her to be seated first.

She did so, then paused before speaking again. "He is gone?" She did not specify who she was referring to. She did not need to.

It was Obi-Wan's turn to nod. "He left Coruscant with Palpatine within the last few hours. I have a group Jedi tracking him now. We will know where is going very soon."

Amidala glanced away from him, eyes trained on the bustling air traffic visible outside her window. She remained silent for several minutes, and Obi-Wan could feel the struggle that she tried so hard to hide. She could not seem to find the words to tell him what she wanted to say. She did not have to. He reached out with the Force and immediately sensed the source of her anxiety. Not one, but two lives were growing inside of her.

"You are pregnant," he said. She turned to face him, moisture glistening in her dark eyes. He lower lip trembled slightly, and she fought against the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. 

Obi-Wan understood the implications immediately. The children of Anakin – children that would undoubtedly be strong in the Force. Children that Palpatine would stop at nothing to have within his grasp.

Obi-Wan was speechless. He wanted to find the right words to comfort her, and instead, failed miserably. He could not mistake the terrible irony of the situation. A baby was supposed to bring joy and happiness, a promise of hope, a new future. These children only served to intensify the immeasurable pain and grief that Amidala was already experiencing. To know that your children were in danger, before they were even born… Obi-Wan did not need the whisperings of the Force to imagine the fear that she must be feeling for the small lives developing inside of her.

"He will not know," Obi-Wan said finally. "We will hide you somewhere on the Outer Rim, until the babies are born –"

"He will know," she whispered, softly interrupting him. "I can still feel him." She turned desperate eyes to him. "Even now, we are connected. And if I can feel him…"

"No," Obi-Wan said firmly. "The Dark Side is strong, but it cannot do that which it has not been summoned to do. He won't hear you, because he has stopped listening." As soon as the words left his lips, Obi-Wan knew it was the wrong thing to say.

"He won't ever listen again, will he?" It was a statement, not a question. She spoke the words of a Senator facing the facts – free from delusions, expecting the worse and hoping for nothing.

Obi-Wan grabbed her gently by the hands and forced her to look at him. "We will find him when the time comes. We will make him listen." He paused. "Until then, we need to keep you and your children safe." He smiled softly. "Don't give up hope."

She roused herself, as if from a deep slumber. The Senator gave way to the human side of her. "What happens when there is no more hope?" She was suddenly livid, her voice heavy with bitterness. "What if all hope is gone, and he can never be turned back? What if my children are born, without a father, knowing that at any time, they could be snatched away to serve the Emperor? What then?"

Obi-Wan ignored the ferocity of her words, for he could sense the pain behind them. "We must take each day as it comes, Padme. The future is always in motion – even for a Jedi, it is difficult to see." He reached out with the Force as he spoke, attempting to soothe her. "We cannot predict what will happen. We can only be ready for whatever may come."

She nodded mechanically, but deep in her heart, she already knew that her husband was lost. She knew it that day on the balcony, when he was faced with a choice. She had seen the struggle in his eyes. She had seen the decision he had made. 

Amidala visibly steeled herself. She would go on – she must go on – if not for herself, if not for her husband, than for her babies. She must be strong for them. And when that day would come, the day that would separate her from her children…

Amidala shook her head. She could not think of that now. 

"We must be ready for what may come," she echoed, trying hard not to think of what that might imply. 


	4. Sacrifice

Amidala slipped into the room and stood silently in the doorway ****

Part IV: Sacrifice (Approximately 13 years after the Phantom Menace; 8 months after Part III of this story.)

Amidala slipped into the room and stood silently in the doorway. The silver glow from Agamar's single moon filtered through the window and fell softly on the crib where her babies slept. She moved towards the bed, and leaned in to see the perfect little faces of her children. Leia was curled up in a tight ball, fists clenched at her side. Luke lay still beside his sister, his chest rising and falling with each small breath. They were so helpless and innocent, so blissfully ignorant of the war that raged around them and threatened their very existence.

The young mother reached out to touch the tiny fingers of her infant daughter. Leia instinctively grabbed hold of her hand, and Amidala's heart swelled with both pride and grief. _This isn't how it should be_, she thought for the thousandth time. _This isn't how their lives should begin. _

Amidala pulled the blankets tighter around the twins, pausing to run a hand over their soft skin, to brush a lock of stray hair from her son's forehead. She could not help but think that all too soon, they would both be cradled in the arms of strangers. Her children, the children she had loved before birth, would become someone else's children. She would not hear the sounds of their cries in the night, or their halting attempts at their first words. She would not be able to run to their rescue when they fell, or rejoice in their musical laughter. They would not reach for her when they needed her most. They would never call her "Mother."

They would not even know each other. Obi-Wan had insisted that the only way to maximize their safety was to separate them. Every part of Amidala fought against it. To split up the twins was to take away a connection formed long before they entered the world. They would forever feel that void, always wondering where the other half of themselves had gone. Amidala had argued and pleaded, but in the end, she knew Obi-Wan was right. If the Emperor somehow discovered the existence of Skywalker's children, it was better that they were as far apart from each other as possible. Amidala gave in to the logic of her mind, her heart screaming that she was making a terrible mistake. 

Amidala battled against the wave of anguish that threatened to overtake and consume her. _This is what we planned for. This is what we need to do, _the small voice of reason reminded her. 

__

No, she fought back. _It's not fair_. 

__

It's what needs to be done…

Obi-Wan appeared silently at the doorway. "Is it time?" she asked without turning to face him. Her voice wavered slightly, but held strong. 

"It is," he replied. As he spoke, two shrouded figures slipped in beside him. "Quo-Lana and Sha-Orn will take them to the ship." 

Amidala nodded wordlessly. She leaned in close to her babies, taking in their sweet smell, the soft whispers of their breath against her cheek, the gentle curves of their chubby cheeks and noses and lips. Tears escaped from her eyes and streamed down her face. She made no attempt to fight them back or hide them from view. "No matter what happens," she whispered, "No matter where you go, or what you do, or who you become… Always remember…" Her voice choked slightly. "Always remember that your mother loved you very much."

Leia's eyes suddenly fluttered open, and focused on the face above her. She held her mother's gaze for several heartbeats. In that instant, Amidala knew that somehow, her daughter understood every word she spoke. 

Amidala kissed Leia, and then Luke. She held them both in her arms, the warmth of their tiny bodies clinging to her like a cloak. Then slowly, as if trapped inside of a horrible nightmare, she stepped towards the Jedi Knights, and handed her most precious possessions over to them.

The Jedi accepted the babies solemnly, knowing the heavy price their mother paid. They carefully hid the twins beneath their cloaks, then silently vanished into the night. 

Amidala felt as if her soul had been suddenly and violently wrenched from her body. She had thought that losing Anakin was enough to make her immune to this ache inside of her. But even a broken heart feels pain. 

She wept openly, for her babies, for her lost love, for herself. The coldness of lost hope settled in around her, and she gave into its inexorable embrace. Her knees collapsed from under her, and Obi-Wan was immediately at her side. He held onto her, steadying her, comforting her, grieving for her loss. 

How could she go on now? How could she live, knowing that everything worth living for had disappeared into the darkness?


	5. Goodbye

She felt him before she saw him ****

Part V: Goodbye (Approximately 14 years after The Phantom Menace; Almost 1 year after Part IV of this story.)

She felt him before she saw him. He was there, watching over her as she slept, just as he had always done.

"Ani, is that you?" she called into the dark.

"I'm here," came the response. 

Amidala's face lit up with a wide smile. She reached her arms out to him, and was immediately folded in the warmth of his embrace. "Ani, I knew you would come back," she breathed into his chest. She could feel his heart beat against her cheek – steady, peaceful, comforting.

"I can't stay long, Padme." His voice was calm, just as was befitting a Jedi. 

Amidala pulled away slightly so that she could look into his face. What little light there was in the room softly illuminated the features that she knew so well. "Why are you here, then? Why did you come?"

He took her hands in his own, glancing down at the rings she still wore – the rings he had placed on her finger nearly two years ago, as he pledged the rest of his life to her. Anakin sat down beside her, and she watched him expectantly. 

"I came to say I'm sorry," he replied. 

Amidala looked puzzled. "You're sorry?" she repeated. "But how…"

Anakin silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. "No questions, my love. Just understand…Just know that what I'm telling you is the truth."

Her face fell as understanding slowly flooded in. "You're not real, are you?" she whispered in a barely audible tone. "You're part of my dreams."

"I'm a part of who you are. I've always been a part of who you are. Don't you understand that?"

Amidala nodded slowly. "But when I wake up…"

"I will be gone," he finished for her. "But the truth of my words will remain. As long as you listen, and keep them in your heart."

He paused, looking down at his wife with such deep tenderness. "Oh, my Padme. How could I have ever left you?" He pulled her to him and rested his chin on the top of her head. She willing gave in to his embrace, allowing the strength of his love to wash over her. "I love you, Padme. More than you could ever know."

"I know, Ani." Amidala closed her eyes. "I've always known."

"Yes, of course," he agreed. "You never gave up, did you? You've always known."

"I love you too, Ani." The words hung in the air, and Amidala held onto them for as long as she could. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.

***

"I love you too, Ani." 

Obi-Wan glanced up from the edge of Amidala's bed. Her lips moved slowly with the words. Her eyes were shut tight, closed to the world around her.

Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head. The hallucinations were getting stronger and more frequent. Every day was worse than the one before. Gradually, like sand passing through an hourglass, he could feel her life-force draining away. She was getting weaker with each passing breath. It wouldn't be long now. 

He clenched his fist in anger and frustration. What good was the Force if he couldn't use it to save her from this terrible illness? What good were his powers if he was reduced to watching her slowly ebb away like this? She was a great leader, a loving person, a kind and gentle friend, and now her life had been reduced to nothing more than a series of haunted dreams and hallucinations. 

But, what good would it do to have her live? He had failed her in so many ways. Her husband was gone. Obi-Wan had thought that he could bring him back, but he now realized that those were the thoughts of a naïve, misguidedly hopeful fool. Her children were gone, smuggled away from her in the dead of night. As long as Vader and the Emperor lived, they would never be safe with their mother. Her people were gone, viciously slain in a battle that they never had a prayer of winning. And her Republic, the political entity that she had worked so hard to keep alive, was gone. The entire galaxy now cowered, trembling in fear at the feet of a vicious dictator. 

Obi-Wan stood to his feet, pacing the floor beside her bed. Before he realized what was happening, anger and hate rapidly coursed through his body. They would pay for this…they would pay!

He stopped himself short. If he gave in to the hate now, he would be no better than the Emperor and his dark apprentice. Taking a trembling breath and running his hand though his hair, Obi-Wan mentally noted how easy it would have been to cross over to the other side…

A ragged gasp from the bed brought him back to reality. He rushed over to Amidala's side, and took her hand in his own. For the first time in days, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"He loves me, Obi-Wan," she managed to say. Her voice was so soft and labored that he had to lean in close to hear. "He's sorry for what he's done."

"I know, Padme," Obi-Wan replied. "I know."

She closed her eyes again, but only for a moment. When she opened them again, there were tears shining from their dark brown depths. "Take care of my babies, Obi-Wan. Watch out for them. They are so young… They need so much care…"  
  
"I promise," he choked, tears welling up in his own eyes. 

She was silent for several minutes. "It's not your fault," she said finally. "You did all that you could."

Obi-Wan broke down, sobs wracking his body. She took no notice, and went on. "You saved me, and my children. Thank you, Obi-Wan." She paused one last time. "A better friend, I could…not…have asked for…"

With those words, Obi-Wan could feel her spirit leave her body. He buried his face in her arms, and wept. He could not help but feel that, in that fateful moment, the galaxy had lost a precious treasure that it could never hope to replace.


End file.
